September 10, 2012

Health officials from the CDC say the poster child for global warming shouldn't be a polar bear, but a child. NPR reports that emerging science reveals that warnings about climate change are received more positively when climate change is portrayed as a health issue instead of an environmental problem. Health risks from climate change include killer heat waves, as well as increased smog caused by hot air. Infectious diseases could also have increased ranges as the climate changes, and there may be more powerful, deadly storms. The CDC hopes that talking about climate change in the context of health risks will be more productive. While the environmental message of climate change doesn't resonate with some people, the idea of helping protect families and communities can have a wider appeal.

If you haven’t already, it is time to add dark leafy greens to your daily diet. The nutrients found in these vegetables provide a host of health benefits, including potentially reducing the risk for heart disease and cancer. Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium are just a few of the vitamins and minerals that are found in abundance in dark leafy greens. Spinach is probably the first that comes to mind, but Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD lists several others that should become a routine part of your meal plan, such as kale, Swiss chard, collard greens and mustard greens. As fall and winter approaches, these winter greens will be abundant in grocery stores (they grow best in cooler weather) at reasonable prices, nullifying the excuse that eating healthfully has to cost a lot of money.

Results from a study involving 163 men with testicular cancer compared to 300 healthy controls suggest that marijuana use increase the risk of developing the cancer. Data regarding drug use between 1987 and 1994 was obtained from interviews and 81 percent of those who had cancer had used marijuana compared to 76 percent in the control group. Oddly enough, cocaine lowered the risk demonstrating that the link is not random and healthy individuals were honestly reporting drug use. These results support two earlier studies and researchers hypothesize that developing testicles may be susceptible to marijuana’s active ingredient. Smoking more did not add to the risk and it was a small increase. One in 270 men will develop testicular cancer but most survive because of highly effective treatments.